Humboldt Crabs Pitcher Scott Heinig Passes Away – April 30, 2011

ARCATA — It is with great sadness that the Humboldt Crabs announce the passing of Scott Heinig, a Crabs pitcher in 2009 and 2010. He was 22 years old.

Heinig, who was named the Crabs’ co-Pitcher of the Year in 2009, was at a gathering at a friend’s home in Davis on Saturday evening, April 23, when he apparently fell, according to police reports.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to a brain aneurysm just after noon on Sunday.

Scott Heinig

“Scott was a great young man,” said Crabs Head Coach Robin Guiver, who was in Davis on Saturday and had watched the Aggies play Cal State Bakersfield with Heinig hours before the tragedy. “Everybody not only liked him, but really respected him. He was a kid that positively impacted a lot of lives.”

Heinig’s death marks the second time in four years that the Humboldt Crabs community has lost a recent alumnus to a head injury. In 2007, pitcher Kevin Morsching died after falling while skateboarding at home in South Dakota weeks after the season ended.

Humboldt Crabs President Matt Filar issued the following statement about Heinig’s death:

“The Crabs have been in existence since 1945, so it’s a fact of life that we would hear of the passing of one of our own over time. It’s especially heartbreaking, however, when we hear of the tragic loss of one of our young members. Scott Heinig was a special member of the Crabs when he was here for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, and I’m still in shock after hearing of the accident that took his life. The news of Scott’s accident brought back the still painful memories of Kevin Morsching, who died in 2007 soon after the end of the season of a similar injury. As President, and being nowhere near the age of our players, I don’t get the opportunity to get familiar with most of the athletes that come to Arcata for two months out of the year, but Scott was one whom I felt close to. Thoughts go out to his friends and family, not only mine, but those of the entire Crabs family.”

Heinig was a popular figure both in his time with the Crabs and in the Davis baseball community.

With the Crabs, he had been a solid and versatile pitcher, posting a 7-2 record and a 1.23 ERA in two seasons and sharing the 2009 Crabs Pitcher of the Year honors with John Austin.

He had also been a standout at Davis High School and UC Davis, and after graduating college last year, had gone back to serve as the pitching coach at his former high school. His death sent shockwaves through the Davis community.

The baseball field at Davis High School, where Heinig had led his team to two league titles and been named the 2006 Monticello Empire League Player of the Year, became a memorial site for those who knew him to gather, and UC Davis canceled its scheduled game Sunday upon hearing of the accident.

“Scott was elected a team captain his senior season, which speaks to how well respected he was by his teammates and to his work ethic and positive attitude,” said Aggies’ head coach Rex Peters in a statement. “He had an infectious smile and put his teammates in front of himself.”

Friends and former teammates also took to the Internet to express their grief.

Two-time Crabs MVP Jeff Giacomini, posting on the team’s Facebook page, said, “Scott was a fierce competitor, he played with his heart and extreme compassion. He was a great teammate and a great friend. Scott will be missed and remembered everyday.”